Smoke‐Flavor Processing Attitudes: Insights From Norwegian Consumers

Summary

For the past decade, smoke‐flavor processing (SFP) has been promoted to reduce the environmental and health impacts of food smoking, as conventional smoking poses risks, including the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Consequently, SFP is now commonly used in the food industry. However, its adoption has been debated and met with considerable consumer skepticism. Recent evaluations have identified potential genotoxic risks, leading to the withdrawal of approvals for eight previously recommended smoke flavors. The development of new smoke flavors under current regulations, alongside efforts to standardize food smoking regulations, creates uncertainty about future recommendations. This study aimed to (1) identify key factors influencing consumer attitudes towards SFP, (2) demonstrate how the applied study design can be used to explore consumer perceptions of food‐related topics more broadly, and (3) discuss how such insights can inform communication strategies for government and industry. A digital survey of 1003 Norwegian consumers was conducted, segmenting participants into negative, neutral, and positive groups based on responses to eight claims about smoke processing. Results showed that 44% were SFP‐negative, 36% neutral, and 20% positive. Positive and neutral participants were significantly less food‐involved and less food technology neophobic than negative respondents. SFP‐negative respondents, concerned about processing and naturalness, fell into two subgroups. One consisted of food‐involved individuals concerned with traditional food and production, characterized by personality traits such as extraversion and imagination; the other subgroup was older, more frequently retired, and rural‐dwelling. Identifying and describing segments and contributing factors is vital for customizing information to the appropriate audience. Practical Applications In a constantly evolving world, we may need to adapt our eating practices due to changes in distribution, regulations, raw material shortages, cultural considerations, health factors, or the introduction of new foods and the development of more efficient food processing technologies. Understanding people's attitudes is crucial for facilitating such shifts. This study examined attitudes towards the debated smoke‐flavor processing technology by identifying and describing various attitudinal segments. This method of categorizing people based on their attitudes can also be applied to other food‐related areas, such as the implementation of other novel food technologies or the introduction of new foods.